ORDER OPHIDIA. , 259 



those of the pomt are double. But these trifling 

 anomalies merit very little regard. 



The DiPSAs of Laurenti (Bungarus Oppel) 



Have the body compressed, much less broad than 

 the head, and the scales of the range, which pre- 

 dominates over the spine of the back, are larger 

 than the others, which we shall see again in the 

 bongares. 

 Such is, 



Dipsas Indica, Nob. {Coluh. Bucephalus^ Sh.) 

 Seb. I. xliii. 



Black, ringed with white.* 



Dendrophis, Fitzinger (Ah^tulla, Gray) 



Have, like the dipsas, a line of scales, more broad 

 along the back, and more narrow scales along the 

 sides. But their head is not broader than the body 

 which is very slender and elongated. Their muzzle 

 is obtuse.t 



* Dipsas, a Greek name of a species of serpent which was believed to 

 cause a mortal thirst by its bite, from '5»4-a (thirst). The figure given by 

 Conrad Gesner at the word dipsas, is precisely of this sub-genus. 



The dipsas indica is entirely different from the vipcra atrox, Mus. Add- 

 Fred. xxii. 2, with which Linnaeus, Laurenti, and Daudin, have confounded 

 it. 



\ Col. AluEtulla; Col. Decerns, Shaw ; Col. Caracaras, id. {Bungarus 



s 2 



